Judge vs. Judge Not – Which Is It?

Here in the USA we are in the midst of another run for the presidency where a small number of people have lost their minds. Scratch that. I mean, where a small number of people have decided to run for the highest office in the land.

Not a few of us are experiencing regular bouts of deja moo whenever we turn on the news and hear the politicians pontificate. (Deja moo = the acute feeling that you’ve heard this bull before.)

Anyways, amid the sharp elbowing, personal deriding, eye-popping broadsides, and gratuitous insults, this year’s bare-knuckled, cut-and-thrust campaign is marked by virtually all of the candidates judging one another.

In that regard, it’s not terribly dissimilar to the “Christian” community on social media where the knives come out on a daily basis causing no small blood-letting.

This year’s political knife-fight got me thinking about the issue of judging others.

Herein lies a thorny biblical paradox. On the one hand, the New Testament sternly warns us to “judge not.” At the same time, it happily exhorts us to “judge.”

So what’s the deal?

As I’ve argued elsewhere, whenever you see an apparent contradiction in the Bible, draw a distinction.

In this case, there are two types of judging.

Let’s begin with the first type. The one that Scripture condemns.

Type 1: Judging an individual’s heart-motives which is directly tied to condemning them.

This is the kind of judging that Jesus, Paul, and James sharply denounce. It’s the judgment of the heart. It’s where a mere mortal usurps God’s position, critically looks down on the failures of others (real or alleged) and imputes dark motives to their hearts. It also applies to the act of judging a person when you yourself are guilty of the same (or similar) practices.

(At the end of this article, I’ve listed the key texts that condemn this type of judging.)

I’ve met many judgmental Christians in my lifetime. Perhaps you have too. The self-righteous, highly-critical spirit that exudes from them is nauseating. Such people anoint themselves to be inquisitors, especially toward people they barely know. Their compass is set to think the worst of others, and they seem to relish condemning.

Tragically, these individuals aren’t in touch with the fact that Jesus Christ doesn’t stand with them. And in every case where I’ve seen this kind of judging take place, the person dishing out the judgments ends up being chastised by the Lord. Sometimes in pretty sober ways.

Jesus made clear that this kind of judging has a way of bouncing back on those who exercise it (Matthew 7:2).

Fact: highly judgmental “Christians” are almost always exposed to have corrupt characters. Usually the things such people condemn the most loudly in others end up being the very things they themselves practice — or struggle with — in secret.

As I’ve pointed out before, the piece of saw dust that the judgmental person detects in her brother’s eye has come from the telephone pole in her own. Consequently, the judgmental person is projecting what’s in her own heart onto others and condemning herself in the process (see Matthew 7:3-4).

Regrettably, this type of judging goes on constantly in Christian circles as professing followers of Jesus unsheathe their swords, impute bad motives to others, climb on God’s throne, and act like holy inquisitors.

With respect to this kind of judging, the New Testament is unequivocal: Judge not.

Type 2: The other type of judging is the act of evaluating the morality of an action or the rightness of a word, statement, or teaching. Not according to one’s own personal preferences, the dictates of their conscience, or the standards of their denomination, movement, or Christian tribe (e.g., Colossians 2:16; Romans 14), but according to the standards of Jesus Christ as spelled out in His Word.

(At the end of this article, I’ve listed the key texts that commend this type of judging.)

So it’s right to evaluate the merits of an action based on what the New Testament clearly teaches. But it’s wrong to judge a person’s motives.

It’s right to condemn an action as immoral (for example, slander, lying, gossip, and stealing are repeatedly denounced as immoral in the Bible). But it’s wrong to condemn an individual because doing so is to play God.

It’s right to render a judgment on specific conduct. But it’s wrong to denounce a person for certain sins – real or alleged — when you are committing your own sins. Jesus called this hypocrisy.

It’s right to correct a fellow believer in the spirit of deep humility when all vestiges of self-righteousness have been extracted from your heart. But it’s wrong to have a self-righteous, arrogant spirit when correcting another. See How (Not) to Correct Another Christian.

It’s right to evaluate the ethics of a decision, action, or statement. But it’s wrong to make a judgment on anything without sufficient or accurate information. Things aren’t always what they seem.

“He who answers a matter before he hears it [fully], it is folly and shame to him.”

When distinguishing between the judging that God condemns from the judging that God commends, F.F. Bruce writes,

“Judgment is an ambiguous word, in Greek as in English: it may mean sitting in judgment on people (or even condemning them), or it may mean exercising a proper discrimination. In the former sense judgment is depreciated; in the latter sense it is recommended.”

I hope this clarifies the matter. But more, I hope you’ll put it into practice immediately and treat those whom you’re inclined to judge the same way you want to be treated (Matthew 7:12). Which often means suspending judgment. And if you have questions or concerns, go to the person directly. Don’t be a gutless wonder.

The self-righteous, fault-finders who traffic in judging others will end up witnessing their graceless verdicts rebounding on their own heads.

“Judge not, so that you may not be judged; for you will be judged by the same standard by which you judge others, and the same measure you measure out will be measured out to you.”

~ Jesus in Matthew 7:1-2.

The old adage, “people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones” is timeless and echoes the words of our Lord.

In the same way, the words of rabbi Hillel, “Do not judge your neighbor until you have been in his situation (lit., ‘his place.’)” and the famed Indian proverb, “Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked two moons in his moccasins,” bleed the spirit of Jesus, Paul, and James.

Thus when it comes to the matter of judging others, we’d all be wise to turn those crosshairs into mirrors. As Earnest Pickering once said,

“Human nature being what it is, we are often quick to judge others, but reluctant to judge ourselves. We must always remember that there are many things wrong with our lives and ample reason for us to pass judgment on ourselves before attempting to do so with others.”

Scripture Texts – Judging That God Condemns

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

~ Jesus in Matthew 7:1-2

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

~ Jesus in Luke 6:37

“Do not judge according to appearance.”

~ Jesus in John 7:24a

“Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.”

~ Paul in Romans 2:1

“Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.”

~ Paul in Romans 14:3

“Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.”

~ Paul in Romans 14:4

“But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”

~ Paul in Romans 14:10

“Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.”

~ Paul in Romans 14:13

“But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.”

~ Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:3

“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.”

~ Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:5 (see also Romans 2:16).

“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”

~ James in James 4:11

“There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”

~ James in James 4:12

Scripture Texts – Judging That God Commends

“Judge with righteous judgment.”

~ Jesus in John 7:24b

“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

~ Jesus in Luke 12:57

“But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.'”

~ Acts 4:19

“Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God.”

~ Acts 15:19

“But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.”

~ Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:15

“Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?”

~ Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:2

“I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.”

~ Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:15

“For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.”

~ Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:31

“Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.”

~ Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:29

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About Frank Viola

Frank Viola is a best-selling author, A-list blogger, speaker, and consultant to authors and writers. His mission is to help serious followers of Jesus know their Lord more deeply so they can experience real transformation and make a lasting impact. See his About page for more information.

Comments

Thank you again Frank, another great article. I think another thing to think on is when we judge morality etc we should really only judge those within the body, but not the those who are not. We cannot expect those who do not value the Bible to live by it’s standards. We should take notice and be aware of immorality, but not expect those who do not know the Lord to live by His standards. We apply our proper judgements to those who consider themselves within the body of Christ. But, like you said, we have to be careful not to judge in the Type 1 way.

Fear drives judgement toward condemnation. (Judge not) Conversely, judgement is a wonderful thing. Without it there would be no realization of brokenness or lostness. Mercy triumphs over judgement. Js 2:13. Love drives judgement!

[I am Sorry, I should have been more complete}
Matthew 7:15, {Jesus said} “Beware of false prophets who come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.”
Matthew 7:16 “You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather Grapes from thorns or Figs from thistles?

That’s Type 2 judging. Jesus isn’t telling us to be suspicious or fearful, but to be realize that not all who teach or prophesy have been sent by Him. The fruits in that text are their words. We are to evaluate the words of those who teach and prophesy. Does it lift others up or tear others down? Does it lift up the speaker above others or does it promote the Lord? Is it based in Matthew 7:12? Does it contain slander, gossip, and other sins? Again, it’s Type 2 not Type 1 judging there. And Jesus doesn’t use the word “judge” but “knowing.”

Spot on! Thank you. This explains in more detail what I’ve been learning about judging others. Note that there isn’t any judging of one another in 1 Corinthians 13. Hence, if we judge one another, there’s no loving one another.

One question, why did you use the female pronoun her instead of his in the article? No problem, just wondering.

Thanks. To your question, contemporary writers will switch from “he” and “she” when using an example of an individual since our readers are a mixture of female and male, and the principles apply to both. I do that in most of my work these days as do most contemporary authors. I used to always use “he” for examples of individuals, but learned to use “she” also. As writers, we don’t want to only use examples that employ males. So we employ both “she”/”he.” And “they/their” is often awkward and doesn’t work. That’s the only reason. As you read more contemporary books, you’ll see this practice more and more.

An excommunication is in view there. Paul is judging an action (unrepentant sin in a specific individual) and discussing the consequences. That falls in line with Type 2. See also the article link to how (not) to correct another Christian. It goes into this.

In fact, excommunication is a very serious matter. The problem today is that people who are excommunicated by multiple churches are often received and befriended by other Christians, which is a violation of spiritual principle and the standards of Jesus Christ. And they end up being empowered to hurt other people as a result. See http://frankviola.org/2013/12/08/churchdiscipline/

Yes, thank you, Frank. Honestly, I am still learning on this subject and connecting the train of thoughts, but your insight here is definitely valuable here. Thank you for taking time to reply. God bless you from India. We are planting kingdom churches here everywhere!

Dear Frank, I enjoyed the article! 🙂 What would you have to say about the parts of the Scriptures where someone’s inner motive is discussed e.g. Paul says in that passage “and you are proud!” Is Paul judging their inner motives here, or are we to assume that the church TOLD Paul that they were proud?

P.S. your teachings led to me into church life where all the members participate. Thank you for opening up to the Lord and being used of him! I am now full of joy in the Lord Jesus when before I was just cynical.

A person who doesn’t receive correction from anyone is most certainly proud. A person who constantly strives with, bickers with, and reviles other people is proud (Proverbs makes this plain). That’s Type 2 judging. Paul knew the people he was speaking to when he made such statement. He was evaluating their words and behavior. Paul wasn’t imputing motives to their hearts that weren’t there. He was evaluating their words and behavior.

Thanks Frank that gave me a good indication of what your point is. Again let me encourage you greatly … your works have put an astounding amount of truth on the table for the benefit of believers. Praise the Lord that he is bringing so many people into fellowship through His workers

It makes you realise how much we need to know the heart of Jesus so that we will automatically respond the right way to situations and don’t even have correct ourselves all the time. Excellent article, keep up the good work.

Common sense. Gave up listening to – or being around – judgemental Christians years ago. It’s a spirit that divides and poisons – usually poisoning the beauty and peace and joy of God. I don’t pretend to have the wisdom to judge as Jesus’ does but I separate myself from legalistic Christians and have seen it destroy people. “Millstone – neck – ocean – stumbling block – little ones” springs to mind. Perhaps there are 2 other words that represent these: bad judgement = condemn – good judgement – discern.

Timely. A few nights ago my friend and I were talking politics. We’re both Christians. She made a strong statement about if anyone is for a certain candidate right now, then they should reallllly check if they are a Christian. (She said that knowing my father supports that candidate, then made a half-baked “I know your father likes him…” ) Well, the conversation got heated, I defended my father out or respect, and we argued over what “judging” means. She said: I’m just speaking the truth. I tried to break down the distinction between forming opinions and judging people. The conversation didn’t end well, with my being offended by her disrespect, with her believing I am squashing her right to say whatever she wants. Thank You for your thoughts on this, Mr. Viola. I’m showing her this article…we’ll see what happens.

Hi Frank,
This is very timely for me, having recently been accused of judging a family member. When we become responsible for people, for things in life, judging & evaluating rightly becomes a real challenge. Micah 6:8 talks about doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly all in one sentence….talk about about the “DEEP things of God”, this is it! Thanks for the great article!

An excellent examination of the scriptures! I’ve also wondered about Proverbs 26:4-5. I don’t feel like I really have the wisdom to know when I should “answer a fool according to his folly.” There are definitely people I’ve wanted to label as foolish, though! (points to plank in own eye) I like how in this post you separated condemning sinful actions from condemning the soul that God lovingly created.